Israel Plans 2nd Booster Jab As Omicron Forces Curbs Globally

Health Workers & People Over 60 Will Get Fourth Shot; WHO Chief Says ‘Blanket Booster’ Plans Will Only Prolong Pandemic Instead Of Ending It

Israel, which late last year was an early trailblazer in its efforts to administer a first coronavirus vaccine dose to its citizens, now plans to offer fourth doses in a bid to curb the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. It is believed to be the first country to offer a fourth round of doses. And as with its earlier inoculation efforts, countries around the world will be looking to Israel for clues about how their own campaigns might fare.

PM Naftali Bennett hailed the move as “wonderful news that will assist us in getting through the Omicron wave that is engulfing the world.” He added, “The state of Israel is continuing to stand at the forefront of the global effort to deal with the pandemic.” On Tuesday, he said that medical teams would begin giving fourth vaccine doses to people over 60 and to medical workers. At least one person in the country is confirmed to have died from the Omicron variant — an older man who had got two vaccine doses but not a third one, health officials said on Tuesday. The US CDC had said in October that some adults with compromised immune systems would be eligible for a fourth shot by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.